LATE TATYASAHEB NOOLKAR -- A GREAT AND BLESSED SAI-DEVOTEE

[Guest guest]

Baba’s favours to Tatyasaheb

In earlier days Sai Baba was not gelling himsell worshipped. If somebody

brought a garland, he did not accept it. But later on due to love of various

devotees, he started permitting devotees to apply sandal-paste to His

fore-head, offer Him flowers and perform Arali (waving of burning lamps). It

was Tatyasaheb who had the privilege of first performing such Pooja on Guru

Pournima Day. Tatyasaheb describes this incident in his letter to Nanasaheb

Chandorkar thus :

 

"On Saturday just as I got up in bed, I remembered it was GURU POOJA DAY and

made preparations. After Bhiksh; (begging round of Sai Baba) we were

permitted to perform Guru Puja. Baba allowed us to do all 'upachar'

(particulars and points of worship) quietly. He returned all Dakshina that

was given at the time of Pooja. Then He sent word to Radhakrishna and

Dadabhai (Dada Kelkar- father-in-law of Rao Bahadur Salhe) that Pooja and

Arali was being done and they should come soon. So Radhakrishna sent her

Pooja and Dada came wiih his Pooja articles."

Thus, with Talyasaheb Noolkar, the congregational worship of Baba with

singing of Arati and playing of musical instruments started which was

continued further first by Megha and then later by Bapusaheb Jog.

 

Sai Baba's and Talyasaheb's mutual love was really incomparable. Sai Baba

used to call Talyasahcb Taiyaba' or 'mhatara (old man)’. At worship lime,

many dishes of different food items used to come and sometimes Sai Baba used

to say, "Today I want Tatyaba's 'poli' (wheat cake) and so saying he would

accurately pick out poli received from Taiyaba's house out of thc heap of

polies, received.

 

Tatyasaheb once had a desire in his mind (hat he should get some words from

Baba's sacred mouth for reciting. Baba having known this, once uttered some

special words to satisfy Tatyasaheb who continued to recite the same till

the end.of his life. Tatyasaheb also wished lo receive some article from

Baba for placing it in his Pooja-room and worshipping. Then unexpectedly on

Datta-Jayanti Day (Birthday of Sri Dattatreya in the month of Margasirsh),

at about 9 O'clock in the. night Sai Baba sent a messenger for Tatyasahcb.

The messenger had not even reached the Wada when Baba was in such a hurry

that He sent two more, messengers one alter another. When Tatyasaheb

arrived, Baba pulled out one 'Kafani' (a long robe such as used by Baba

Himself) from the heap of kafanies in from and placed it on Tatyasaheb's

body saying, "Lei it be with you. It will protect you from severe wind and

cold". Talyasaheb felt that this was a sort of 'sanyas diksha1 (initiation

into the fourth stage of life, i.e. abandonment of all worldly possessions

and earthly affections) as per his own liking and with tears of joy in his

eyes he placed his head on the feet of Baba and returned. Such were the many

favours Talyasahcb received from Sai Baba.

 

to be contd...

 

by Late Lt.Col Nimbalkar

Pune

(Source Shri Sai Leela May June 1991)